Best Free iPad App of the Week: Facebook

Who doesn’t like free? And who doesn’t like great iPad apps? When the two come together it’s good stuff. With that in mind, we’d like to share our Best Free iPad App of the Week here every weekend.

This week’s pick is Facebook. It was a long time coming to the iPad, but it has turned out to be worth the wait. I’ve used Friended, Friendly, MyPad, and other 3rd party apps that filled in for it while the official version wasn’t out yet; and Friended in particular was quite good – but I haven’t used any of them at all since the Facebook app itself was updated (made a universal app) for the iPad.

Here are some of the key features of Facebook for iPad:

– Enjoy bigger, better photos: Your photos are high-res and easy to flip through, like a real photo album – Navigate anywhere, fast: Just tap, slide or pinch to move from one screen to another – Play games on the go: Access your favorite Facebook apps and games, wherever you are – Focus on what matters: Zoom in on your friends’ photos, updates and stories – Never lose your place: Share a photo, update your status or send a message without leaving News Feed – See who’s nearby: Check out the Nearby map to see what your friends are up to

I used to really dislike Facebook. It’s still not my favorite social network, but I’ve found myself using it more and more over recent months. And, at the risk of sounding a bit like a Dos Equis advert, when I am using it, I most enjoy using it on the iPad. The Facebook app has made that even more of a strong preference.

I actually much prefer the layout and UI on the iPad app over Facebook in a desktop browser.

Facebook was one of the first big, headliner apps for the iPhone when the App Store first launched. It’s great that now it’s a fixture on the iPad as well.

I have to agree with Walt. The Facebook app for iPad and iPhone is awful. Aside from crashing, the notifications for pictures often pull up the wrong picture. It’s one of the worst apps I have. Should come with toilet paper.